Opinion

TIM WALKER recounts meeting Harry Andrews, an actor who never went public about his sexuality. When I arrived at the home of Harry Andrews in the Sussex countryside, I was greeted at the door by his lover of the past 30 years, who led me into the living room where the ‘tough guy’ star of […]

MITCH BENN on a death which represents far more than a statistic. I met Harry McFarlane in the late summer of 2018, when my girlfriend Leslie – Harry’s granddaughter – and I called in at her old hometown of Prestwick on our way back from that year’s Edinburgh Festival. Harry was on good form that […]

JAMES BALL on why this crisis must result in a renewal for our health service. It was, of all people, the former Conservative chancellor Nigel Lawson who noted in his memoirs that the ‘National Health Service is the closest thing the English have to a religion’. The observation was intended as a complaint, more than […]

Former Downing Street director of communications ALASTAIR CAMPBELL on how the government can improve its messaging over coronavirus. Given I’ve written thousands of words on my blog of well-intentioned advice about the government briefing operation, which seems to get worse not better, I’m not sure another ’20 ways to improve your communications strategy’ memo from […]

Readers have their say about Boris Johnson and the government’s response to the coronavirus outbreak. It is an observable fact that organisations and even countries rapidly take on the characteristics of whoever is leading them at the time. The UK response to the COVID-19 crisis is no exception. Bluster, half-truths, unrealistic future projections and avoidances […]

Readers have their say on how the government’s handling of the coronavirus exposes the myths surrounding Brexit. One myth that has been exploded by coronavirus is the notion of British exceptionalism. The fiascos over ventilators, testing, PPE and the rules of lockdown has exposed the UK as not-really-that-special after all. How could such a country […]

Experts warn that overusing hand sanitiser during the coronavirus epidemic could have the opposite effect in trying to prevent ill-health. WINSTON MORGAN issues a warning. Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, scientists and governments have been advising people about the best hygiene practices to protect themselves. This advice has caused a significant surge in […]

Newspaper calls for the lockdown to be lifted are out of step with public opinion. CATHERINE HAPPER says cabinet ministers would be wise to ignore the any rash decisions. In times of crisis and widespread concern about decision-making, the public are extremely reliant on journalists to put their questions to those in power. If there […]

There is an undeniable pressure not to undermine the government’s response to the coronavirus. But LIZ GERARD argues we have a duty to question it. We are not at war. We cannot defeat the ‘enemy’ with grit or determination or by ‘fighting’ (and certainly not on the beaches). Walls do not have ears. This invader […]

Government ministers have been accused of losing control in the last few weeks. EMILIE ANCELIN says that Boris Johnson and his cabinet would benefit from looking to French president Emmanuel Macron for some tips in how to regain authority. Three weeks after putting the whole of France into lockdown, Emmanuel Macron gave his third address […]

MICHAEL WHITE asks will we all rise again after the Covid-19 pandemic? Even well-read atheists know that Easter’s message of resurrection and redemption is at the heart of Christian faith and must be hoping that the Boris Johnson who emerged soberly from his near-death experience at St Thomas’ Hospital is a better man than the […]

The virus crisis has accelerated the tech revolution to breakneck speed, says JAMES BALL. We need to be careful we are not hurtling towards dystopia.

The case for a broad political alliance holding the government to account is once again needed more than ever. Keir Starmer’s refocusing of Labour priorities is welcome. Less welcome is the postponement of the Liberal Democrat leadership election until the Covid-19 virus is under control. The Brexit debacle saw unprecedented cooperation between principled MPs of […]

The Covid-19 pandemic has amplified orientalist, anti-Asian sentiment in the West. HOLLY BARROW calls for those in the UK and US to look closer to home before attributing blame on other countries. A Chinese tourist wears a protective mask as she visit the almost empty Badaling Great Wall in Beijing, China. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty […]

TIM WALKER recounts interviewing American actress Lauren Bacall, whose life remained shaped by Humphrey Bogart even after his death. Lauren Bacall’s publicist was adamant that the star would talk to me about any subject under the sun, except her first husband, Humphrey Bogart. ‘She feels she’s talked about him quite enough,’ he said. ‘So I’d […]

MITCH BENN issues a musical call-to-arms to a country under the coronavirus curfew. Mitch Benn’s song and video urged people to stay in during coronavirus. Picture: Contributed – Credit: Archant On the one hand, envisaging into what sort of post-Covid world we might one day emerge, fat and blinking, seems like the most exquisite form […]

We have to try to find a language for us all in this alien world, says BONNIE GREER. Connection during coronavirus: Hackney Carers Collective have been streaming dance classes on Zoom to help carers over 50 keep connected during the lockdown. Picture: Anne-Marie Payne – Credit: Anne-Marie Payne Something new and something very old… coronavirus […]

The words of the British Queen, King Philippe of Belgium and Queen Margrethe II of Denmark were echoed throughout Europe and around the world. Their messages have resonated far greater than the words of any prime minister. The British Queen’s address to the nation evoked huge interest, respect and widespread appreciation. Nearly 24 million people […]

The government must release all prisoners who do not pose a threat to society immediately, says Boris Johnson’s former press secretary Ashish Prashar The injustice of mass incarceration and our legal system, on both sides of the Atlantic, is the civil rights issue of our time. What is both saddening and terrifying is that it […]

We are already starting to see the political blame game in response to the coronavirus – but who really benefits? Among the contemporary chaos, one prediction can be made with confidence. The coronavirus pandemic will soon lead to an outbreak of divisive and disruptive political blame games. Politicians, policymakers, advisers and experts will all seek […]

We will come out of the coronavirus wiser if we do not frame the response in narrow military language, says ALEXANDRE CHRISTOYANNOPOULOS. In speeches, commentaries and conversations about the coronavirus pandemic, we keep hearing war-like metaphors being deployed. It happens explicitly (‘we are at war’, ‘blitz spirit’, ‘war cabinet’) and implicitly (‘threat’, ‘invisible enemy’, ‘frontline’, […]

Even before the coronavirus recovery begins we’re seeing how fundamental business collaboration is, says Lucy Franklin. A Brexit delay is inevitable We’re living through a situation that almost no one saw coming, and no one was prepared for. I’m not going to use this article to throw my voice behind the chorus of recriminations or […]

Shining humour on to dark times, comedian MITCH BENN says if this was The Walking Dead, he would skip ahead. First of all, I hope this finds you safe, well and still relatively sane. I know the waggish thing to do at the moment is to draw satirical comparison between our current plight and the […]

Police are not overlords, they are citizens in uniform, argues JAMES BALL. They need to guide us through this crisis, not force us. In the days shortly before the UK government eventually decided to lock down much of the country – which was still only a handful of weeks ago, even if it feels much […]

With no more plays to review, TIM WALKER reviews the stars he’s met, starting with Roger Moore and one role that really mattered to him The director Stephen Unwin has a question he puts to people who want to work for him on his productions. ‘Don’t you just love stars?’ he’ll say, smiling broadly. All […]

Despite the coronavirus outbreak the government is continuing with Brexit talks. Consequently a campaign for assoicate EU citizenship must continue. The campaign to allow British citizens to apply for associate EU membership must go on. When all this is over the economic consequences will be devastating and the USA will be in no position to […]

Whether it’s the NHS, students or sport we should write off 2020. Andrew Adonis makes the point that students should be allowed to repeat this year with no fees. My daughter, who is in her first year at university, has already suffered as a consequence of the lecturers’ strike and will have lost half a […]

BONNIE GREER writes how the central ‘beautiful figure’ of Italian culture cannot be seperated from the tragedy facing Italians Anyone who has been to Italy or known Italians will recognise la bella figura. The term literally means ‘beautiful figure’ and expresses a central part of the country’s culture, a basic part of who its people […]

One reader says those blaming China should look closer to home for who to blame over the response to coronavirus. Don’t blame the Chinese for being slow off the mark. They had no great warning and knew little about what was coming. However we did have warning and lots of information from China and we […]

One reader thinks the daily press briefings from the government has improved without Boris Johnson. I’m finding the 5pm Covid-19 briefings without Boris Johnson more factual, succinct and more credible. I think experts give more guidance than politicians. This may be our darkest hour but Boris is most certainly not Churchillian Tony Howarth London SW3 […]

A new Labour leader finally takes Jeremy Corbyn’s place this week – his dogged determination to carry on to the end has been one of his final strategic mistakes. No-one could have predicted the crisis the country would be facing when Labour decided to set the close of the leadership contest for this week, but […]

Experts at King’s College London have developed a free coronavirus app to monitor symptoms on a population-wide level. TIM SPECTOR from the institution said that the public response has been staggering. The global COVID-19 pandemic caused by the novel SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is a public health emergency. In just under three months, we have gone from […]